Editorial | It’s Time To Control Our Own Destiny

The Kingman City Council will begin reviewing the sales tax rate it levies at Tuesday’s regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Mohave County Administration Building.

We cannot overstate the ramifications of the decision that the seven leaders are about to make. The future of Kingman is going to be decided by them, and it is important they know what we want it to look like.

The citizens of Kingman need to make a choice. We can either control our own destiny, or we can put in the hand of others and hope it turns out well.

Council appears headed in one of two directions when it comes to the Kingman Crossing and Rancho Santa Fe Parkway projects.

The first direction would see the Kingman Crossing project approached in piecemeal fashion. Its completion date would be somewhere off in the distance, unknown to those building it or to those who want to see added retail come to Kingman.

Kingman Regional Medical Center has stepped up and put an offer on the table. KRMC has stated it would build the Kingman Crossing interchange. In return, it would want the city owned land on the south side of Interstate 40 for future development. KRMC also wants a couple of different tax deals to offset its risk in the investment.

That is one direction to take. Turn the project over to KRMC, give it a few requirements and hope it turns out for the best.

Councilman Travis Lingenfelter has put together a program that includes doing both projects concurrently. This plan promises to show the project in its entirety with completion dates known and decisions made now, rather than waiting to see if it’s feasible to continue at some distant point in the future. The City of Kingman or its citizens would not make this decision.

The Lingenfelter program, for lack of better name, includes the work on both projects and will come at a cost. The transaction privilege tax, aka sales tax, will need to be raised for the projects to go forward together.

The current city sales tax rate is at 2.5 percent with 0.5 percent ready to sunset at the end of the year. There are most likely enough votes on the council for a new ordinance that makes the 0.5 percent permanent and dedicated for pavement preservation. Think El Trovatore Hill.

The industrious proposal of including Kingman Crossing and Rancho Santa Fe Parkway in the same project work requires the citizens to pay another 1 percent in sales tax to get the financing necessary.

We understand asking for more tax money isn’t always the answer. We also understand this is an extraordinary opportunity for the citizens and residents of Kingman to put its future in their own hands.

KRMC is a wonderful community member. It’s hard to imagine what Kingman would be like without its presence. It’s part of our history and part of who we are. We applaud KRMC for all it has done for Kingman and for all it is going to do in the future.

It’s time for Kingman to control its own destiny. We ask everyone to attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting and let your elected officials know you want control over Kingman’s future.